An illuminative evaluation of the workplace learning component of Unisa's diploma in animal health.
Date
2008-06-19T08:53:25Z
Authors
Van Rensburg, Estelle
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Abstract
This research report describes an illuminative evaluation study of the workplace learning
component of the Diploma in Animal Health, a vocationally-oriented qualification offered by
the University of South Africa (Unisa). In illuminative evaluation, a programme is studied by
qualitative methods to gain an in-depth understanding of its "instructional system" – its
intended teaching arrangements, as well as its "learning milieu" – the actual sites of learning
interaction; this results in a rich description of the programme that allows "matches" and
"mismatches" between the instructional system and learning milieu to be uncovered. In this
study, this approach was applied to investigate the instructional system through document
analysis, and the learning milieu through interviews, observation and a student questionnaire.
The data revealed a number of "matches" but also "partial matches". Matches included the
immersion of students in an actual work environment where they fully participated in real work
activities; this generally allowed them to be work-ready on graduation, as intended. Partial
matches included the component's intentions to have a well-functioning co-operative
relationship, to have a curriculum that is fully relevant to student workplaces, and to have
designated mentors who provide both academic and personal support; all these intentions
were only partially achieved in the learning milieu. In uncovering these matches and partial
matches the illuminative approach provided in-depth insights into the workplace component
that might not have been obtained by using another evaluation methodology.
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Keywords
Illuminative evaluation, Educational evaluation, Instructional system, Workplace learning, Animal health training, Co-operative education